In the early hours of Wednesday 2 November, our Year 13 geography pupils swapped Shiplake College for an outdoor classroom in the Nordic setting of Iceland! Below is Head of Geography, Mr Jack Cooper's, report of what was a "once in a lifetime experience for all":
From the moment we landed to the day we left, we were incredibly lucky with the weather and access to areas around Iceland. The trip included seeing the three major waterfalls of Iceland - Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. This allowed students to see the processes and force of rivers up close, and even walk behind one of the waterfalls!
On the first day the Geographers visited the renowned Blue Lagoon and this proved to be a major highlight for all of the Year 13 pupils. Although we spent three hours at this naturally heated spa, everyone wanted to stay longer. The pupils were already in awe but on the second day, things were about to get even better - we all got to witness the rare sight of the Northern Lights. Even our local Icelandic tour guide stated how lucky we were to see such an illuminating light show.
The purpose of the trip was educational and allowed the students to explore topics such as hazards, hydrology, population and enviromental management in great detail. A visit to Iceland Geothermal Power Plant allowed students to see what a country running on 100% renewable energy looks like; although we did have a few complaints about the smell of sulphur! The same evening, we were treated to a lava show. This is where lava is created indoors through smelting old basaltic material. This helped all students further their understanding of volcanic processes.
The trip was so action packed it was difficult for students to choose their highlights. However, what was commonly said was the chance to walk on a glacier and snorkeling between two tectonic plates. This is a once in a lifetime experience for all the pupils and though they did complain of the cold, it is called Iceland for a reason! Nick Summerfield received "Geographer of the Trip" and was awarded an Icelandic tie for his efforts. Other awards included "Most Inquisitive Geographer", which was won by M Berry; and the highly contested "Best Fall" Award, which went to Robyn Pendlebury.
It was also great to receive some positive feedback with one parent emailing to say, "We cannot thank you enough for the amazing experience you have given the geography pupils on the trip to Iceland. XXX was wax lyrical when she arrived home last night and relayed story after story. The whole trip was wonderful by all accounts, and is a reflection on you as teachers, and the Shiplake ethos."
A massive thank you must go to Miss James, Mr Dix, and Miss Lane, who joined Mr Cooper on the trip and helped run it smoothly for all.
Flickr album: Geography Iceland Trip 2022 |
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